In some exceptional cases, a more detailed, accurate determination can be made by calling the Winchester Repeating Arms Historian at the Morgan, Utah office. The accuracy of a bolt-action weapon has made it the standard gun used in the Olympic sport, the Biathlon. If someone could help me i would greatly appreciate it. This is a shooter was never used after being built years ago but was Shot by Gunsmith to Brake in Barrel so its basically a brand new custom build, it is in excellent condition. 1 MKIII (.303 British caliber) produced at the Birmingham Small Arms Co. in England in 1940. The ISBN numbers for these reference books are in the bibliography. From All About Enfields; The No4Mk1 rifle. The Lee-Enfield series of rifles is one of the most successful bolt-action rifles of all time. Over 2 million were made. Here is a simple shadow board depicting the 4 most common Enfields. It was shorter and a little handier, and could hold ten rounds. Based on an earlier 19th-century model known as the Lee Metford (officially the Magazine Rifle Mark I) invented by Scottish-born American inventor James P. Lee, the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield re-designed the gun to address its shortcomings. Posted: May 07 2017 at 4:02pm: I recently received this enfield from my grandfather. What: The Lee-Enfield rifle; any which one will do… although one made at the Canadian Long Branch Arsenal is probably the most quintessentially Canadian of the bunch. Serial Numbers, Model, Mark and Manufacture Identification. It sounds like you have a No.4 MK1 rifle. The No. The Enfield action is a bit of a weird design when compared directly to the systems we know today, as virtually all modern bolt actions are derived from the Mauser action, including the Remington … The standardization of the Lee-Enfield into its most long-serving form took a number of years and is a reflection of the state of rifle development … All Work Was Done by a Gunsmith, Brand New Manufactured hand lapped Barrel thicker barrel Free Floating 26” in serial# below 6000 were for civilian sale serial# 6000 and higher were built under contract to the Canadian government. This sport involves over 12-miles of cross-country skiing and shooting at targets along the way. 800-333-3288. It’s a Lee-Enfield SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) model No. Another feature that made the Savage Enfield an excellent rifle was that, unlike the American Springfield 1903/1903 A3 and German 98 Mauser, it was a cock-on-closing design with rear locking lugs. Prior to its introduction (in 1903) it was customary to produce two rifle type After the Savage contract was terminated, surplus parts and raw materials from … They were made to the same specifications as the C#4Mk.1 except there were no serial numbers on the butt socket of the receiver. However, the rifle’s historical relevance and relative rarity make it something of a collector’s piece today. Once shouldered by nearly 50 armies, Canada becomes the last military in … The British adopted the deeper, five-groove Enfield rifling in 1895, and the new rifle was dubbed the Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle Mk I. I know it is a no4 mk1, but don't know when it was made or when. So check if yours has this star next to the Mark 1. The Lee Enfield enjoyed a good reputation with those who were issued with it. To help you determine the year made, find your serial number and then select a link from those below to sites that offer serial dates. Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher unveils the model 85 semi automatic rifle in 1885. As a practical matter there was little or no meaningful difference. Production ended after an estimated 1,090,223 rifles had been made by Savage. Although the round had better ballistics, troop trials in 1913 revealed problems including excessive recoil, muzzle flash, barrel wear and overheating. The Lee-Metford was a bolt action .303 Caliber bolt action, box magazine rifle created in 1884. The well-known Lee-Enfield rifle began its service with the British Army in 1895 and ran into some 27 different models before being replaced by a self-loader in 1957. Most of these were destined for service with the canadian rangers for the next sixty-five plus years. The bulk being from the Royal Ordinance factory Maltby, ROF Fazakerley, BSA Shirley, with smaller quantities at Longbranch in Toronto Canada and by the Stevens-Savage company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, USA. The American-made Model 1917 Enfield rifle was another period development of the German Mauser 98 series and was produced to the tune of some 2,193,429 examples before the end. The .577 caliber Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle–Musket has the distinction of being the second most common infantry weapon of the American Civil War (where it was known as the Three–Band Enfield). To recap, this rifle was given to me by my father-in-law back in early January. The No 4 was a wartime rifle that used components made in small factories without skilled labour. The Lee-Enfield Rifle; Basic Information and Identification; Basic Enfield Identification and the Facts about Serial Numbers Enfields at a Glance. The rifles were assembled centrally using mainly female labour. 4 Mk I* in 1942, with the star-sign. The Stamping of "US Property" and the "C" code in the serial number confirms it. This rifle was then surpassed by the Whitworth rifle which became the first long range sniper rifle. First debuted in November 1895 as the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, the rifle has still found use today in military, sporting and ceremonial roles - over one hundred years since its inception in its original form. He knew nothing about it, and none in my area know. Why the 114-year-old Lee-Enfield rifle is only now being retired by the Canadian Armed Forces . The Enfield Pattern 53 rifle, which had served the British Army well in Crimea, was introduced to the Indian troops serving in the East India Company. The competitors use .22 caliber bolt-action weapons due to the gun’s accuracy, lightweight, and ease of firing. Quote Reply Topic: Identifying year and production of enfield. The Lee Enfield was first produced in 1907; it had been designed by an American called James Lee and built at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield – hence the rifle’s name. —- Enfield Rifle pattern 1914 or 1917 was built by a known gunsmith in 30-06 caliber. In three years of some of the worst fighting of the Korean War, 3RAR was never forced from a position. In the early 1950's Essential Agencies Ltd.(E.A.L. During the South African War of 1899–1902, Canada asked Britain to supply Canadian soldiers with the British Lee-Enfield rifle commonly used by British troops. Or what a lot of these markings mean. Barrel is correct with the CA markings, and … The British also sought to replace the Lee–Enfield rifle with the Pattern 1913 Enfield rifle, based on the Mauser M98 bolt action design. The Lee-Enfield rifle was the rifle that shaped British military history. The .303 caliber Lee-Enfield rifle, November 1895,usually called the Magazine Lee-Enfield, or MLE. Lee-Enfield rifle, rifle adopted by the British army as its basic infantry weapon in 1902. As between the G98 and the SMLE Mk 3, the British rifle had some minor advantages. This was before the USA entered WW2. Close to a million Enfields were imported to the U.S. and used to good effect by both sides. Over the years I have received many emails regarding serial numbers. This prototype rifle was called the Pattern 1913, and made at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield. The "C" in the serial number stands for the Savage Chicopee Falls Plant. )produced a run of several thousand No.4 enfield rifles cambered in .303 british. It had a ten-bullet magazine and its rate of fire in the hands of well-trained men was high. Knowing the year your vintage firearm was made makes it easier to decide which gun catalog we sell will give you the best information about the company, models made and more. The Birmingham Small Arms Company, which made the Lee-Enfield, would also not license the rifle for production in Canada. The most famous model was probably the Mark 3, the ‘Short’ Lee-Enfield, so-called because it introduced a new idea into military rifles. Ask for the Winchester Repeating … It is … Designed to mimic the look and, to a lesser degree, the handling of a full-size Lee Enfield rifle the Model 82 or M82 was little more than a Lee Enfield-style stock on a convention Model 39. The receivers were not ground down to eliminate the usual markings, but were simply not marked. The first Lee-Enfield the Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle Mark I, or Magazine Lee-Enfield (MLE) was adopted. 8 years ago. 4 rifle was simplified for mass-production with the creation of the No. Since this information was provided through old documents (both official and otherwise), no representation is made that all serial number and year combinations are totally accurate. The E.A.L. the last rifle at Enfield in 1956 may have been UE 56 A2136, the first rifle in 1957 would thus be UE 57 A2137, until A999999 was reached after which the 'B' series was to be used commencing with B1, e.g. rifle was made by Long Branch during the mid-1950's for ESSENTIAL AGENCIES LIMITED, a Toronto Ontario firm. Before issues in the rifle could be worked out, the First World War broke out in Europe. Britain refused, due to Lee-Enfield supply shortages. This was the predecessor of the famous WWI and WWII rifles such as the Lee- Enfield and Mauser. This change in naming reflects the rifling used in the barrel the old Metford 7 groove somewhat rounded pattern was found to wear out quicker with the new ammo, and the deeper more square shouldered Enfield rifling was adopted. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 3/12/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com Britain had already begun the task of replacing their Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) infantry rifles in the years … Co. civilian production of target and sporting rifles, then purchase a copy of " B.S.A. The next year a shorter version was introduced as the Lee-Enfield Cavalry Carbine Mk I, or LEC, with a 21.2-inch barrel as opposed to the 30.2-inch "long" version. The year indicator was irrespective of the serial number advance, e.g. Lee Enfield No4MkI’s were made by several factories during the 2 nd World War. this particular rifle was made in the US by Savage-Stevens for the British. It is believed that sniper rifles were invented around 1857 with the advent of the Enfield rifle. Many of the rifles of this period used a striper clip to load the magazine. 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